pag n rora
una u.cluuk otaaliaiv kaicn, uretrcn. Ttsrsar iiorcia?, i.iay zj, iyo
mn - a Mi m a msa a ' ft m e w- e - A ' sum m mm a a t a
"iv Favor Stray Us; No Fear Shall Avf
. From Ftrat Statesman. March. 28, 1251, ;
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Ca 48LE3 A. SrasGOB - - Editor-Manager
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tion of all MVt dUpatcbca credited l tt ar aoc XJberwfc credited
this paper. - . - -
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I csnOL News Stands a ceota : l
By City Carrier 4 a mwth; . fr to arfsaac
Flax Money from Washington
THE federal government is to be asked again to give of its
largess to-the Oregon flax industry. This time the ambas
sadors for Uncle Sam's dollars are women Mr:u W. S. Nich
olson and "Mrs. W. W. Gabriel, both of Portlaad. The state
is to pay their $400 expenses to Washington once they are
there the "loan" they seek is expected to come through in
such short order, the state will be amply repaid for its in
itial investment for the junket .
The fever for getting flax money from FDR started in
the spring- of 1933. At that time -Will Lipmann caught the
ear of Louis Howe, presidential secretary, and the Washing
ton dispatches had the millions rolling westward to make the
Willamette valley a vast flax paradise. But Mr. Howe or Mr.
lipmann or both, never delivered.
The plan of pouring federal miliums into the amateurish
Tnt artH nians of the flax boosters has never appealed to
os. It has never won out at Washington where a project has
to be only half-sound to win a federal handout.
Oregon's flax and linen industry has not suffered pri
marily from lack of capital. It has suffered from inexperien
ced and bad management, and from politics. Hundreds of
thousands of dollars went into the Oregon Linen MiKs its
outset was not hampered for lack of capital. When the money
was obtained, large sums were wasted on obsolete machine
ry. Management whkh piled up staggering operating losses
was tolerated. The business belonged to almost everybody
and was the vital concern of no one. Not until the Salem
linen Mills, successors in interest to the Oregon group, took
charge, discovered that twine was the profitable item and
the weaving of cloth a loss to the plant, did the operation be
gin to carry itself without subsidy.
The. state flax plant has had a succession of operators.
At the moment no individual has been named to carry on the
sales work done by William Einzig:, former secretary of the
state board of control; Einzig got new customers at a fair
price for Oregon's flax but oversold his available output and
ahorted the local nulls who are now importing fibre from
Ireland.
What is now needed in the flax industry is better man
agement of our existing plants. The Salem Linen Mills does
need some working capital but a comparatively slight sum
would suffice The Miles linen company has ample capital;
what it needs is a more aggressive sales organization which
will 4Vvmit hiistneoa tn tho Trifll
Lour interests in the east. The
gressive and. intelligent management to open and hold east
ern markets for flax but capital
porations such as the Champagne Paper company seek flax
for experimental purposes from the valley, they should be
encouraged.
But funds raised by petitions to Washington, to be in
vested in. vague projects, without guarantee of successful
, management, stand the likelihood of dissipation in the man-
, ner funds heretofore raised from individuals in the valley
have been lost. The success of flax raising and manufacture
in' Oregon-which is no longer
the management we develop here. As the industry proves it
self, it can be financed with money from men and institu
tions in Oregon who expect to receive their money back, with
J A. T" a 1 a j 1
interest, as is me rignt oi a lenaer.
The Bonus is Dead for the Moment
TTtOR the moment, Mr. Roosevelt has stopped the bonus tide.
X His personally delivered veto message to congress, a
precedent breaking address, was forceful, convincing and
courageous. While it reiterated the long history of increas
ingly liberal payments to veterans of the world war, it also
J fit It t . tt -n ,
cuunciaiea wxin cogency ine
-The core of the president's argument against immediate
and fuU payment of the adjusted service compensation cer
tificates is contained in these sentences :
The veteran who is disabled owes his condition to the war.
The healthy veteran who is unemployed owes his trouble to the
. depression. He presents a separate , and different problem. Any
attempt to mingle the two problems is to confuse oar efforts."
To this he added his objections to printing-press money
as a means of retiring the bonus obligation. The payment of
the veterans' claims with treasury notes, Mr. Roosevelt point
ed out, invites payment of claims of other groups with such
tender. The ultimate outcome would be uncontrollable prices
and the destruction of the value of savings a disaster which
has befallen all nations which continued to discharge its ob
ligations by the creation of "wealth" by the issuance of unse
cured currency. - - v -
v'"tJf "ation win continue to pay the veteran, when he is
disabled.Jt wiU give him priority in work relief . It will meet
its adjusted service certificates when they are due in 1945
not m 1935. But it will not invite outright inflation, eventual
demands for outright pensions for soldiers and discrimina
tion among the persons needing relief by anticipating by ten
years the retirement of the bonus obligation of 1924. Such is
the executive's position.
r -. JJe senate, by a tiny margin, may be counted on to sus
prldenVvU vefy doubtful if either house would
Writ? VCt S? til Yina?l bin which pays the Sg from
aSmER 3 raU' thanith Vtafox Press money. The huge
deficits i the government has incurred the past two yean' in
site other - lavish outlays. The congressman who has lust
Jhllf'T00;?' P added foufbillbnst
the deficit cannot be affrighted over a J'paltnr two billions
addonal f or the veterans. It is this recEfar&r
SfJZSS!???"! I1- u tinuing accumulation of
efg deflclU wIuch acls brake on business re-
frar,,M0tornL,orIli2atIoa hkh nU to get hold Af a ktrtet
!fniCll e n Ported rs in a pnblie statement that itsf irst e J"
'd"a"a ,Wf b to ?iT IopI he best system of mass trans
Portatioa ta the world, ana fto help its employes to beanlv
iStf ,?J"l.pwflU a tt oteSanTbntmanuStnr
era, so they wllh hardly want to remain unhappy. w
Benson Nenring: End
of 35. Years in Navy
EILVERTON HILLS. May 22.
Oscm. Benson, XT. S. N. wfll arrive
tere for a visit soon. He hat been
Vioo nrf rtiverf if fn f ha KflT.
state flax plant must have ag
is not a requisite. When cor
open to doubt depends upon
vaua oDjecuons to uie f atman
stationed at Tearl Harbor and
landed in San Francisco ear lv this
week. Mr. Benson is a brother nf
George Benson. On September 3,
Mr. Benson will have comoleted
5 years la the service of the
states.
: Si." " straws
The Great
Game of
Politics
By FRANK K. KENT
Cop jrfcfct If 19 Yf T. Balilmm Bu
A Code For Critics 1
Washlnston, May "iJ
THAT clear-headed old Kansan
philosopher, Ed Howe, IQUd the
other day, "l am ashamed ot this
country for submitting to this
Administration." ; Senator . Glass
feels the same way. So do a lot
of others. I
IT may not be a matter ot shame
bat it is certainly a matter ot
astonishment that a nation, the
majority of which is plainly sat
urated with distmst of the so
called New Deal, obviously sick
of- socialistic experimentation,
fall of Apprehension over the vast
confusion and wild, steam shovel
distribution of billions of dollars,
while ex angelical exhortation over
the radio is linked with a cock
eyed program of class legislation
it . is astonishing that . such
nation should he enable efleo
tively to resist. j
NO competent person who gets
about the country, or la in com
munication with people from dif
ferent sections win dispute the
statement that a majority is hos-4
tile to the New Deal and no
longer , enthusiastic about Mr.
Roosevelt and this despite the
fact that more than a sixth ot the
people are directly or indirectly
receiving federal funds. A. real
change has taken place In the
last eight months. Confirmation,
ot the decline In presidential pop
ularity and Increase in resentment
toward New Deal policies can be
had from any candid member of
congress, say posted, newspaper
man, any nnblased observer. Bat
the best evidence is the private
agreement among practical poli
ticians that the 1936 problem on
the Roosevelt side Is to keep the
anti-New Dealers from uniting
against him; that on the other
side, to get them together. Clear
ly, the fact which both accept is
that the anti-New Dealers are in
the majority.
THIS being the ease. I repeat, it
is astonishing the resistance, in
creasing as it is, should still be
so ineffectual particularly when
so many believe that, unchecked,
the course must end in chaos.
There are several ways of ac
counting for this other than gen
eral inertia. One is the extraor
dinary Administration propagan
da. It, with the militancy of of
ficial spokesmen, the ardor ot the
recipients ot Federal bounty and
the great increase in Federal job
holders, makes a formidable com
bination. To it must be added the
tremendous power eonfered by the
billions of relief and public works
which the President has to give
to needy states, and for which
there is keen competition.
ANOTHER reason Is lack of or
ganization and leadership in the
opposition ; another is lack of an
alternative; another is the cohes
ive power of the party label; still
another, fear of reprisals from an
administration with virtual con
trol over the air, vast publicity
facilities and no scruples about
imputing ugly motives to those
who differ with it. For exam
ple, in Jiis last radio address, Mr.
Roosevelt asked again for criti
cism. "Feel free to criticize," he
said, and his chief "coordinator'
recently repeated his words. Yet,
within two weeks, the president in
effect, said that one set ot per
fectly respeetf ul critici were inhu
man creatures not averse to see
ing people starve and unconcerned
when they lost their jobs. And
just a day or so ago, he described
critics of another policy as "high
and mighty men" who told "spe
cious lies." If it were not so se
rious this sort of thing: would be
ridiculous. It seems strange a
president can't meet respectful
crltcism without calling names
and indulging in personal jibes
and jeers. So far as can be re
called, no critic of Mr. Roosevelt
has imputed to him anything ex
cept a decent purpose.
THEY doubt his wisdom, not his
sincerity. The name calling and
the assigning of unworthy mo
tives has come from him and
seems to be coming more fre
quently and violently. The trouble
with Mr. Roosevelt is that. whUe
he says he wants criticism, he
clearly does not want forceful or
effective criticism. He has tried to
make that sort of criticism un
patriotic. He wants to, decide
what shall be criticised and how.
He wants to regulate- criticism
along with industry, agriculture
and finance. And it cant Quite be
done. If it could he could do any
thing. It is, perhaps, a natural de
sire for a man in his position.
but it would certainly be fatal
for our system if he succeeded.
Legard Purchases
Charles Bock Site
: Damaged by Blaze
SILVERTON, May 22. Otto
Legard, senior partner of Legard
and Adams, clothing store, has
purchased the Charles Bock prop
erty which was damaged in the
recent fire at Sllrerton. Mr. Le
gard plans to rebuild and Berger
Fenelde, who formerly operated a
restaurant in - the building, - wttl
again open in one of the store
rooms. , :i , - . . '
Mr. Legard received s wire
Monday that this offer for the
building was accepted. Mr. Bock,
who formerly lived at Silverton
and operated a bakery here, is
now at wenatchee..'
SILVERTON,; May 22 -Miss
Helen Raitenen. one of Silverton
teachers, will spend the summer
at Berkeley attending the Univer
sity or California. Miss Raitenen
plans to return to Silverton in the
Bits f
or Drea
Br.B. X HENDRICKS
Salem has mother lodge
ot Odd Follows in all the
old Oregon country: L O. O. Y. .
largest secret society la world:
(Continuing from yesterday: )
California Odd Fellowship, , its
gripping early history:
There Is room for only a few
words to ten a long and romantic
story: In 2847, the year the Span
Ish pueblo of Terba Baeaa be
came by ; change of name san
Francisco, . some American pio
neers there who had been Odd
Fellows in the places whence- they
came, banded them selves togeth
er and organized, a lodge of their
own. This was while the name of
the place was yet Terba Buena.
They called their society an Odd
Fellows' lodge, but tt was started
without a dspensatlon from any
grand lodge.
Early the next year, Jan. 24,
1842, three men from Salem, Ore
gon, Bennett, Stasis and Mar
shall, working on the Softer Mitt
race, discovered gold in Califor
nia. (Two girls named Bonney,
of the Woodbum, Oregon. Boney
elan, had discovered gold two
years before at the same place,
but the news was hushed up and
did not get abroad.)
Came the historic gold rush.
from the ends of the earth
the greatest up to date in the an
nals of time.
The, members of the independ
ent lodge of Odd Fellows at -Terba
Bnena, joined the wUd stampede,
but not until after they had done
two significant things.
First, they made a bonfire ot
their records and paraphernalia.
Next,, they took a mutual solemn
oath that, unorganised, they
would, in the mines, observe the
principles of Odd FeUowship;
they would be true Odd Fellows
And specifically they covenant
ed to look after and care for one
another in sickness, .danger and
misfortune, and that they would
do the same to the extent of their
ability for aU comers.
They did that Tery thing, to
the extent of many thousands of
dollars ot cost in virgin gold, and
at the cost of a big hospital
built at huge expense in Sacra
mento. That's the short of it.
Joe Formick, leading Salem
three-linker, knows the whole
story. Every Odd Fellows knows
Joe. If say Odd Fellow has not
heard the story, Joe ought to hire
hall, this week, and tell It.
m
Sacramento, California's capi
tal, has the first lodge of Odd
Fellows -on this coast. No. 1,
started in 1849. California had
eight lodges when our Cbemeketa
No. 1 was organized. Resuming:
Chemeketa's first members:
S
Gen. Joel Palmer was the lead
er ot one ot the large covered
wagon companies ot the big 1847
immigration. His donation land
claim -was in Yamhill county; on
it he laid out the town of Day
ton. He became superintendent
of Indian affairs for Oregon, and
he established the reservation
system of western Oregon and had
much to do with the disposition of
the Indians all over the Oregon
country. His office was of course
in Salem. He made the race for
governor on the republican ticket
in 1870, but was defeated by L.
F. Grover.
. W
Cyrus S. Woodworth was chief
clerk ot the Indian department for
a long time, residing in Salem.
He was also connected in official
capacities with steamboating in
the early days, and was a mer
chant in Salem. His son, Cy. B.
Woodworth, popular young man of
Salem in the old days, has long
been a resident ot Portland.
v v
Benjamin F. Harding, of the '49
covered wagon immigration, was
the last territorial secretary of
The Safety
Valve
Letters from
Statesman Readers
TAXATION AND THE MOTOR
VEHICLE
If there is a more vital issue at
this time than taxation and the
motor vehicle, the average busi
ness man will have a hard time
finding it. In 1890 the total cost
of government, federal, state and
local was $876,000,000, 813.88
per capita. . In 1919 it was $7,-
465,000,000, $71.19 per capita.
In 1928 it was $9,792,000,009,
880.58 per capital. It is consid
ered much higher now. What will
it be in 1937 it the present trend
goes on challenging the imagina
tion. The New Deal gives no
cause for optimism. -
Over expansion of the automo
bile industry and road : building
activities was a major factor in
causing the depression, D. F. Hus
ton, president of the Mutual Life
Insurance company, told the sen
ate committee which was seeking
a formula for prosperity. Is the
United States going the way of
England, of Germany, and other
European nations? Are we going
to be swamped by bureaucracy.
duplication, enlargement of gov
ernmental activities, paternalism
and an eventual dictatorship cf
orxtcenoiders?
The future of Industry, of em
ployment. of home building and of
individual progress is tied up with
thw pro-Men of tnxattoa. - H 1 a 4
taxes frighten the investor. 'takes
money out of circulation, paral
yses business. The assurance ef
economical, efficient and restrict
ed governmental activity would
do more than anything else , at
this time to bring depression to
an end. -' - ,
Must this land of opportunities,
and national of equal rights be
sacrificed to the- greed of gold
and love of power?
S. B. Mills,
V..,-.-, 2 i 97 Sti te, S;U Ealaautert and Jessie C&miP hell.
kf astir
stats, was U. S. senator, 1862-5,
and' in many-ways was one of
Oregon's useful citizens in pioneer
days.
W
E. N. Cooke, of the 1851 cov
ered wagon immigration; was one
of the greatest of Salem's early
day "boosters. He was prominent
in the steamboat business oa the
Willamette In pioneer times. He
was Oregon's state treasurer tor
eight years, beginning with 1882.
During that time -he erected the
finest residence then la Salem;
still standing the Patton home.
V, V ,
S. A, May was Oregon's sec
retary of state for eight years,
beginning with 1882, TT. S. Sena
tor Frederick: Steiwer of Oregon
is his grandson.
A, W. Ferguson, wrote Form
ick, "was just a plain good Odd
Fellow. He was faithful in at
tfnding.. meetings, went through
the chairs and became a member
of the grand lodge of Oregon. He
was the first Oregon Odd Fellow
to get married la a lodge: . . . .
married daring a special meeting
called for the purpose ot 'pep
forming as important ceremony
of lifelong consequence .... by
Brother Chester N. Terry." Ter
ry was county judge.
Cyrus A. Reed, of the 1858 im
migration, was prominent in of
ficial, social and business life. He
erected Reed's opera house, which
is how the Miller store building,
southwest corner Court and Lib
erty, Salem.
W
A. (AL) Zleber came to Ore
gon with his father's family in
the 18S1 covered wagon immigra
tion. His father, John S. Zieber,
was a printer, book binder and
editor. He worked on the Spec
tator in Oregon City upon arrival
in Oregon, then oa The States
man, then as clerk in the office of
the surveyor general, in Oregon
City. He then came to Salem and
worked on The Statesman here.
The territorial printing was al
ways done m the plant of The
Statesman, and the state printing
tor tne xtrst term ot four years.
Early in 1856. John S. Zleber was
made surveyor general of the ter
ritory, the office having been re
moved to the capital.
Al. (Albert) Zleber was the
first son of John S. Zieber. The
first daughter, Eugenia, Al's sis
ter, became the wife ot A. Bush,
founder of The Statesman, first
territorial and state printer,
founder of the bank of Ladd &
Bush, etc.
Al. Zleber settled in Yamhill
county: represented that county
in the last territorial (1858) and
the first state (1859) legislature.
Went to Portland in 1882; was
U. S. marshal under President
Johnson: then sheriff of Multno
mah county; after that one ot the
leading and most popular hotel
men of the state. He was the
first Odd Fellow west ot the
Rockies and north of parallel 42
by application for membership by
initiation.
t
I. N. Gilbert was a covered
wagon immigrant of 1844; re
mained with the Whitmans at
their mission that winter. After
the massacre he went as first
lieutenant with citizen soldiers of
the Oregon provisional govern
ment in 1848 to the Cayuse war
to punish the murderers. Gilbert
was the first county clerk of
Marion county. He made the
first surveys of the town of Sa
lem, drew the plats, and recorded
them. He was one of the four
members who organized -the First
Congregational church of Salem,
July 4, 1852.
The foregoing were Just a few
of the original pioneers of Odd
Fellowship in the Pacific north
west, members of the mother
lodge. The roster down the
years, blographlcally sketched
even briefly, would take many
newspaper pages.
"a
May all the hundreds of visit
ing three-linkers abide in faith,
love and truth, for which the
linked letters stand, and come
again and often to the home of
their mother lodge for the land
of dreams in the westeraost west
of their trekking pioneer for
bears. Twenty Years Aso
-
-May 23, 1915
An extra edition proclaims
Italy's entrance Into the World
war. Hostilities wiU begin imme
diately. . Lassen peak in California erupt
ed yesterday and cut swaths half
a mile wide down its sides.
At the Oregon theatre today is
showing "The Escape" produced
by D. W. Griffith starring Mae
Busch, . Blanche Sweet and Owen
Moore.
Ten Years Aso
May 23. 1925
The gooseberry and strawberry
seasons are in full; swing and
growers are short of help, partic
ularly women workers.
Among' the new student body
officers at Salem high school are
Cecil Edwards, president; Donald
Deckebach, Clarion editor; and
Ross Harris, editor ot the annual.
The Salem Boy Scouts will hold
forth on the Washington high
school group today in a track and
field meet to determine champions
in the different troops of the Cas
cade council.. r.
f ALBANY GROUP VISITS
TALBOT, May 22 Members
of the P.T.A. from the Madison
school in Albany put on : a min
strel show in the schoolhouse here
Friday night. Character' parts
were taken by Bern ice Gilchrist,
Ruth . Props, : Judith - Severson,
Bertha Faulk,. Faye Coven, Ada
Reeser, Alice Neely, Dolly Mela
- f "
'
f
"WHOSE WIFE?"
CHAPTER I
r
T was seventeen infantes after
midnight on November 15,
when the Sergeant on the desk
at police headquarters answered bis
telephone.
"Police?" came a man's voice.
"Good. Who is that. Sergeant
Davis? This Is Benton, Wilbur
Benton. Speaking from my apart
ment oa the twenty-first floor of
785 West Fifty-seventh Street.
There's a desperate fight going oa
between a man and a woman on the
Toof of 784 across the street. Looks
as if he's trying to murder hert"
"Okay.Hr. Benton, TO radio the
emergency aqnaa nearest mere.
"Blrfctf The oa lexer they get up
there the better, from the looks of
it."
Sergeant Davis said, "Mr. Ben
ton, do von know who -r when
the sound of a receiver clicking into
place told bim thafc the man at the
other end had hung up. '
Whatever critics of the New York
police may have to say, they must
certainly give them -the palm for
the way In which they jump to tt
in a ease of emergency.
Within a lew seconds police
headquarters was -speaking direct
to a moving car. The vigilant ears
of the two officers who occupied it,
and were peering out watchfully
into the stormy night, heard the
polka . radio announcer give their
number, and tell them to go at
once to the scene ox the trouble.
In less than five minutes the two
officers. Murphy and Larkin, leapt
from the police ear at the door of
784, and roused a sleepy colored
elevator boy. whose eyes bulged in
panie at sight of the two borry
nrures in blue.
Officer Larkin spoke laconically,
"Is there a penthouse on this roof.
boy7"
"Yassuh. yassuh,"
"Well, take us up there, and step
on Ul"
As the elevator soared swiftly
skyward, the negro rolled his eyes
at them, and asked timidly, "Ain't
nottiin' wrong up to Mr. Vane's, is
they. suh7-
"Oht" said the officer, "so that's
who lives there, is itt No other
tenant?" and he studied, the boy
quietly but carefully.
What he saw was interesting, yet
strangely forbidding the hoy at
the controls ox toe elevator was u
usually brad-shouldered -and pow
erful of build even for his race.
which is noted for strength. His
ebony lace was at once sullen and
childishly attractive he might
either he brutal, or gentle as a child.
From eatwmra appearance it w
imnossible to indsre.
"What's your name, boy t asked
Larkin.
"Robert E. Lee Jackson, snh"
in the soft drawl ot the south "but
they most all call me Lee."
"Okay, Lee. New, where are you
from?"
"Atlanta Georgia, snh."
"Worked here long?"
"'Bout six months, snh."
"Wha is ia Mxv Vane's famayr
"Jus Mr. Vane and his wife
She's mighty pretty, too 'bout the
prettiest white lady I ever did see.
Oh, man, IH say sot"
Thatll do, said Larkin then,
as the elevator came to a stop, he
added. "You'd better wait."
They -stepped out, said Murphy
rang the beu at the door the bey
indicated. There was no answer to
their prolonged ringing, although
lights were plainly , discernible
under the door.
. Officer Murphy laughed.
"Theyrt aft out or all dead,"
he said cheerfully. Larkin took ae
notice of him, All Murphy's fellow
officers were used to ha carelessly
gay attitude toward life or death.
"Got key?" Larkin snapped to
the colored boy.
"Yassuh." txemhtinjrfy. :
"Hurry then. Let us in this door."
But by this time the boy's hands
were shaking a as to render him
incapable of any practical assist
myw, The eflyew snstrhed the keys
from hixst with a gesture- that im
plied anger and suspicion.
"Murphy," he said grimly, "keep
an eye on this bird, I dout like the
way baweting."
He rot the door open, and they
walked into a brightly lighted foyer.
A wide doorway, directly opposite,
disclosed through, its draped por
tieres a large room or studio, which
was dark save for a reading lamp
on a small table in front of the
fireplace. In a larrs-armchair a
man was sIumpecLhaving atpsrent.
mmJj7 fallen aaljprer a book.
Sea Serpent!
Officer Larkin spoke to him, but
he did not wake. He then touched
him on the shoulder with no re
sult, so he shook him violently, but
still could not rouse him,
"I told you they'd aU be dead."
said Murphy in a pleased voice.
Put drunlc alter dead and you'll
be nearer right." answered Larkin.
lie toted back the head of the
unconscious man, and pushed up one
eyelid with his thumb. As he did so,
the man choked, coughed, opened his
eyes, and sat up.
wnars upr- be asked sleepily.
"That's what we came to find
out." said Murphy.
"Sorry we had to come in Eke
"She's sot there r he cried, and the garment of a poised humorist
dropped from him. . . ,
this," said Larkin, "but we eouldnt
get an answer when we rang. Head
quartsrs had a report that there
was a fight going on en ysur roof."
A look of absolnta puzzlement
spread over the other's face. Then
he seemed to wake fully for the first
time, and to get his bearings.
"What the hell's the matter with
Eon fellows," he said good-natured-r,
but with a note of annoyance in
his voice. "Are you crazy? I sup
pose you think I'd sleep all through
a fight on my own roof. Show a
little sense, man."
"That's what I am showing,"
said Larkin grimly. "None of all
this makes sense, and you were too
sound asleep when we came in to
seem reasonable. But we were sent
up here by headquarters to find out
what the trouble is, and I guess Fd
better start in doing a little find
ing out, Have you got a woman up
here?"
The look of puzzlement on the
other's face deepened. Then he
laughed: -Well, of all the amaz
ing questions," he said, "I really
must say that I dont know that it's
any of your business as to whether
I have a lady friend er not, but I'd
hardly be sitting in here sound
ste?? w wer wad, sow
would Ir"
Officer Larkin was beginning to
feel a little puzzled himself by now.
It certainly didn't look as if there
hsd been a tcrsp, er even a domes
tie brawL to this peaceful stxdio.
A11 aa was amiable, and not
at all flustered. . -.,.-
"We are with a cruising police
ST J "Bd headquarters
radioedus to come up here ea the
ran. They said that there was a
murder being done on your roof. A
man and a woman fighting hell for
leather - - -
h, I see," came the amused com
ment. "So you think that I have had
a knockdown-drag-out fight with a
woman and won! My dear fellow.
I assure vou. von ttM wii
fight is possible, but that J .should I
By 2S1
win, is not even probable. However,
as you feel that m your one or duty
you iust must have a fight cxrf
murder TH strive to please. Yeull
find the body in the bath, That's
the fashionable place to keep them
nowadays, you know. So dean."
"This is no joking matter,' sir,
though it may be amusing to you."
Larkin was nettled. "We have our
duty to do, and it would help a lot
if you'd answer questions civilly
and seriously. Your name is Vane,
isntit?"
"Yea."
"Where's your wife?" Larkin
asked.
"My wife is in bed, and is cer-
tainly the only woman in the apart
meat." He added smiling, "This is
aU really very aisard. Somebody
must be playing a practical Joke.
That's the only possible explana
tion." Would yon mind eaffing your
wife?" Larkin persisted.
, "Not ia the least, but shell hate
Eke hell being disturbed, believe
me."
. He left the room, followed closely
by the officer, crossed a small hail
and gently opened the bedroom
door. The room was in absolute
darkness, as heavy velvet curtains
had been drawn across the win-
awakerV' he called softly, "are you
There was iw answer, He stepped
softly into the silent room, and
switched on the lights just within
the door.
"Isobelt he called again and
tre1 the bed he
felt that he must be dreaming. For
downy four-poster was
empty, and, a fact that widened bis
eyes with amazement and blanched
hur cheeks with a sudden f esr. it
had not been disturbed. The satin
coverlet was as smooth as it had
been that morning, and all the nO
wws were ia; terrifying perfect
order. ;w-;s v-h::. ,
For the first time he took serious,
lythe stoteraent ef Officer Larkin
about ; the eali from headquarters,
and the fight on his own roof. The
fan ipgmfaanca ef the presence ef
the two polieemea in his apartment
struck him with telling force. He
tamed a white face to the officer
who stood close behind him.
."She's not there!" he cried, and
the garment of the poised humorist
dropped from him like a masquerade
eestome from the shoulders of one
finished with the dance. --
An idea struck him.
the bathroom!"
(To Be Continued) '
'C-eirfeM. ... .- -tfL